Chapter 283: The Third Matchmaking

In the twelfth month of 1962, the cold wind seemed to carry ice shards, slapping people's faces with a sharp sting. As the year drew to a close, the atmosphere in the Siheyuan had not relaxed much for the holiday; every household still worried about their meager food supplies and next year's livelihood.

In the Front Courtyard of Yan Bu Gui's house, his iron abacus was being rattled again, this time concerning the eldest son Yan Jiecheng's lifelong matter.

This time Wang Meipo introduced a bride: the daughter of the old Yu family from an Alley in the South of City, named Yu Xiulian. The girl is fairly proper in appearance, and is said to have a gentle temperament, but her family is truly hard‑pressed—her mother has been bedridden for years, never far from a medicine jar; there is also an older brother, already of marriageable age, and the family is scrambling for a bride price and other expenses, worrying endlessly. The Yu family values Yan Jiecheng because he has a city household registration and a temporary job; although the Yan family's conditions are modest, at least they are not a burden, so they relented and agreed to let their daughter come over for a "look‑see".

This time Wang Meipo did not come herself; she only sent a note, leaving the Yan family to handle it. In her private words to her old partner she said, "I won't touch the Yan Lao Xi clan again; not only is it a waste of spit and effort, it's also a bad omen!"

On the matchmaking day, Yu Xiulian arrived accompanied by her brother. The girl wore a half‑worn red checkered jacket, faded from washing, head bowed, fingers nervously twisting the hem, looking very uneasy.

Her brother Yu Dazhuang was a thin, dark‑skinned man, brows tightly knit, his eyes showing fatigue from life's heavy pressure and a hint of urgency to find a way out for his sister.

The Yan household remained the same. The interior was no warmer than outside, the coal ember in the stove barely alive. On the table were still the same three dishes—stir‑fried cabbage, millet noodles with steamed buns, and the only thing that could be called "meaty" was a small plate of extremely salty shrimp shells that Yan Bu Gui had somehow obtained.

Yan Bu Gui pushed up his glasses, plastered a warm smile on his face, and greeted, "Yu family brothers, Miss Xiulian, sit quickly, sit quickly! Our home is simple, don't mind, have a modest meal!"

Yu Dazhuang looked at the spread, his mouth twitched slightly, said nothing, and sat down silently. Yu Xiulian didn't even dare lift her head.

At the table, the atmosphere was heavy. Yan Bu Gui spoke at length, beginning to describe Yan Jiecheng's "bright future" and the advantages of a city household registration. Yu Dazhuang occasionally echoed a line, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

Finally, he could no longer hold back, rubbed his hands, and said with difficulty, "Uncle Yan, to be frank, our family's situation… you may have heard Aunt Wang mention it. My mother's illness is a bottomless pit, and I also have to arrange a wedding… it's just… sigh!" He let out a heavy sigh, "We have only Xiulian as a sister, hoping she can find a solid family. We… we aren't after anything, just peace of mind."

The meaning of those words was crystal clear. Yan Bu Gui's sharp eyes flashed, and the mental abacus in his head began to spin rapidly. The other side was asking for his help, and the situation was urgent! This was a perfect chance to drive the price down.

He showed a deeply sympathetic expression, sighed, "Alas, every family has its own hard‑to‑recite sutra! Brother Dazhuang, I understand your difficulty, I understand!" He then shifted tone, "But this marriage links two surnames; the key is whether the two children are compatible. Our Jiecheng, as you have seen, is honest and upright, his work is stable (ignoring the temporary nature), and in the future…"

He never mentioned the bride price, only repeatedly emphasized Yan Jiecheng's "strengths" and future "potential." As Yu Dazhuang listened, his complexion grew ever darker. He realized the Yan family either didn't want to pay, or only wanted to pay a little.

Seeing the atmosphere stiffen again, San Dama, watching Yu Xiulian's pitiful state and her own son eating with a blank stare, felt a pang of sympathy and quietly kicked Yan Bu Gui under the table.

Yan Bu Gui frowned, weighing pros and cons. The son was indeed not young; this Yu family girl seemed capable of making a living, and although the Yu household bore a heavy burden, once married she would become part of the Yan family, so the Yu family couldn't keep coming to beg for help, could they? The key was that, under the current circumstances, they could drive the price hard.

He seemed to make a firm decision and finally spoke, "Alright, Brother Dazhuang, I think Xiulian is also a good match, she has a fate with our Jiecheng. Since neither child objects, let's consider the marriage settled!" He paused, watching Yu Dazhuang's expression, then slowly raised two fingers, "As for the bride price, tradition calls for it. Our Yan family is not ignorant of propriety; how about twenty coins?"

Twenty coins! In these days, for a struggling family like the Yu's, it's not a small amount, but certainly not a lot, especially with mother's medical bills and the brother's wedding expenses to cover.

Yu Dazhuang's face showed a struggling expression. He clearly hoped for a bit more.

Yan Bu Gui immediately added, "These twenty coins are truly ours! Look at the current situation—what family can afford that for a daughter's marriage? Moreover, once Xiulian marries in, she brings a city household registration and can eat subsidized grain; that benefit is priceless!" He resumed his sales pitch, this time the big cake flavored with the hard‑core lure of a city registration.

Yu Xiulian lifted her head, quickly glancing at Yan Jiecheng across the table who still wouldn't meet her eyes, then at the shrewd Yan Bu Gui and her brother's uneasy face; her eyes reddened slightly, and finally she lowered her head, whispering like a mosquito, "Brother… I… I am willing…"

When she said that, Yu Dazhuang seemed drained of strength, and weakly nodded, "…Alright, Uncle Yan, then… we'll do as you say."

The marriage was thus settled at this thin broth matchmaking banquet, tinged with a bitter helplessness.

After seeing the Yu siblings off, Yan Bu Gui immediately shut the door, a victorious smile on his face. He bragged to San Dama and Yan Jiecheng, "See? That's strategy! If I hadn't kept my cool, could we have settled with twenty coins? We even got a city daughter for free! This deal is profitable!"

San Dama watched her delighted husband, then her still clueless son, unable to name the feeling inside. Yan Jiecheng scratched his head, still not fully processing that he suddenly had a new wife.

The news spread, and the Siheyuan buzzed with talk. Some thought the Yan family got a bargain, some pitied the Yu girl, and others waited to see how the Yan family would use those twenty coins to arrange a "decent" wedding.

And the calculating Yan Bu Gui had already begun to turn his abacus, planning how to complete this marriage he deemed a "blood profit" with minimal cost. As for what kind of ultra‑frugal household the new daughter‑in‑law would face after crossing the threshold, that is a story for later. In these chaotic times, the match was soaked from the start with life's hardships and the cold calculus of calculation.